Doll



w. RENO DOLL Filed SePt- 1941 VENTOR. 55 THE W OQNEy Patented Feb. 2,1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOLL Esther W. Reno, New York, N. Y.

Application September 9, 1941, Serial No. 410,126

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a doll, itsparticular object being a doll carrying in one hand an electric candle,or other electric light, connected to a self-contained electric circuitand provided with means for turning .the light on and off at will. Also,if desired, the candle-stick, or other type of electric light, may beremovable so that, for example, a child can light herself to bed bymeans of the candle, and then remove it and take the doll to bed withher. With the candle-stick removed, the doll becomes in appearance anordinary doll to be played with in the usual way.

One form of the doll of this invention is shown in the drawing, ofwhich:

Figure l is a general view in perspective of a doll holding an electriccandle-stick in one hand, and also partly broken away to showdiagrammatically an electric circuit for illuminating the candle;

Figure 2 is a view illustrating one form of switch, by means of whichthe candle circuit can be operated;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section of an arm and shoulder of the doll onthe line 3-4 of Figure 2, viewed as indicated by the arrows, showing oneway in which the arm may be movably connected to the shoulder and theswitch associated therewith;

Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line l4 of Figure 2 showing thearm-operated switch in detail;

Figure 5 is a view of a hand of the doll and of the candle-stick showingmeans whereby the candle-stick may be removably attached to the hand andthe electrical connections provided for; and

Figure 6 is a vertical section through the head of a doll illustratinganother form of switch, which :is normally closed when the doll is inupright position, and is opened when the doll is lying down by means ofthe mechanism which closes the eyes.

As shown in Figure 1, the doll I may be of conventional construction, ingeneral. Within the body of doll I is positioned in any suitable way adry battery 2 such as an ordinary flashlight battery, the positive andnegative terminals of which engage contacts 3 and 4, respectively,

from which wires 5 and 6 run through the shoulder I, and arm 8, or inany other desired way, to the candle-stick 9 where they connect to anelectric bulb II at the top of candle II. This connection may bedirector through a threaded,

or bayonet Joint, socket, which will permit of renewal of the bulb incase it burns out.

Preferably, this electric light is also provided with a switchdiagrammatically illustrated at l2, whereby the electric light may beturned on and oil. Switch I2 may be of any desired type, but should beoperable from outside the body as a general rule. Ordinarily, the armsand legs of dolls are swiveled so that they can be moved into diilerentpositions. For example, as shown in Figure 3, arm 8 may be provided witha pin II molded into or otherwise fixed to arm 8, and projectingtherefrom so that it may be passed through a hole H in shoulder 1. Awasher i5 slipped over pin 13 on the inside of the shoulder and backedby a spring l6 held in place by a cotter pin ll, will not only permitthe arm to turn freely, but will hold it snugly against .the shoulder I.

This'ieature may be utilized to produce a simple and eii'ective switch.As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the switch may consist of hollow rivetsl8 and i9 seated in holes in shoulder I and to which wires 5 and 6 frombattery 2 are soldered or otherwise attached. Arm 8 is provided withcorresponding contacts 20 and 2|, from which wires 5 and 6 continuethrough the arm to the electric candle. The positions of contacts 20 and2| in arm 8 with respect to the pivot pin i3 are such that when the armis in the position shown in Figure 1 and in full line in Figure 2, withthe candle held upright, the electric circuit from the battery to thecandle is completed, whereas when the arm is swung downward, asindicated in dotted line in Figure 2, contacts 20 and 2| are separatefrom contacts i8 and I9, respectively, so that the circuit is broken.Thus, by a comparatively small movement of the arm, the electric lightmay be turned on and oflf.

As shown in Figure 2, contacts 20 and 2| may resemble eyelets. If theopposing ends of contacts l8 and I! are somewhat smaller, as shown,these ends will sink slightly into the openings of contacts 20 and 2|when the circuit is closed, and will be held there by the tension ofspring IS with suflicient tenacity to support the extended arm andcandle-stick in upright position. However, spring I will permit the armto move away from the shoulder sufliciently to allow contacts II and llto disengage from contacts 20 and 2| when the arm is swung downward, asheretofore described. While this type of switch is effective for thepurpose, it may, of course, be supplanted by any other suitable type,and the arm may be connected to the body in any other suitable way.Also, of course, the switch may be associated with the other shoulderand arm,

if desired, so that by a relatively slight movement eyes-is effected innumerous ways, one of which is shown in Figure 6. In this form the eyes,one of which is shown at 22, are mounted upon a horizontal rod 23,turnable in the dolls head.

To the back of the eyes, or to rod 23, is attached a depending arm 24terminating in a light weight 25. This pendulum-like arrangementprevents the eyes from turning when the doll is laid on its back, withthe result that the eyes appear to close. This mechanism may be utilizedto operate the electric switch, if desired. For example, a simpletwo-bladed switch 26 may be mounted at the back of the head of the dollas shown in Figure 6, and wires 5 and 6 connected thereto. This switchis normally closed, as shown, but one blade 21 thereof extends beyondthe other, so that when the doll goes to sleep," weight 25 will engageitsumciently to separate the switch contacts 28 and 23, thus breakingthe circuit. If desired, a simple mercury switch may be used, which isoperated by changing the position of the be as easily replaced. Otherforms of attachment may be substituted, if desired.

I claim:

1. A doll having an arm movable with respect to ashoulder. a hand uponsaid arm, a miniature candle-stick detachably supported by said hand, aminiature electric bulb associated with said candle-stick, a batterywithin said doll, an elec-. tric circuit connecting said battery andsaid bulb which runs through said body, shoulder, arm and hand to saidcandle-stick and thence through said candle-stick to said bulb, andswitching means associated with said shoulder and said arm whereby saidcircuit may be made and broken by moving said arm.

2. A doll having an arm movable with respect to a shoulder, a hand uponsaid arm, a battery within said doll, electric connections between saidbattery and said hand, a miniature electricallydoll, thus eliminatingthe necessity of the operative relation between the switch and the eyemechanism described above.

The candle-stick may be mounted permanently on the dolls hand, butpreferably it should be removable, so that the doll can be converted into an ordinary doll for play purposes. This may be done by providingthe base of candle-stick 9 with pin jacks 30 and 3|, and molding, orotherwise inserting, into the supporting hand suitable receiving sockets32 and 33. Wires 5 and 6 are, of course, connected to the jacks andsockets so as to produce the necessary continuous circuit. With thisconstruction shown in Figure 5, the candle-stick may be removed bysimply pulling the pin Jacks away from the sockets and may illuminateddevice supported by said hand, and means for electrically connectingsaid device with said electric circuit at said hand, said meansconsisting of a pair of sockets and a corresponding pair of jacks, oneof said pairs being associated with said hand, and the other of saidpairs being associated with said electrical device.

3. A doll having a part movable with respect to another part, aminiature electrically-illuminated device detachably supported by an armand hand of said doll, a battery, a circuit connecting said battery andsaid device, and means associated with said moving part for making orbreaking said circuit when said moving part is moved.

4. A doll having an arm movable with respect to a shoulder, a hand uponsaid arm, a miniature candle-stick supported by said hand, a miniatureelectric bulb associated with said candle-stick, a battery within saiddoll, an electric circuit connecting said battery and said bulb whichruns through said body, shoulder, arm and hand to said candle-stick andthence through said candlestick to said bulb, switching means associatedwith said shoulder and said arm whereby said circuit may be made orbroken when saidarm is moved, and means for retaining said arm incandle-supporting position when said circuit is made.

' ES'I'HER W. RENO.

